Convoy PQ 7

Convoy PQ 7 was the eighth of the Arctic convoys of the Second World War by which the Western Allies supplied material aid to the Soviet Union in its fight with Nazi Germany. The convoy was in two parts: PQ 7a sailed from Hvalfjörður, Iceland on 26 December 1941 and arrived at Murmansk on 12 January 1942. PQ 7b sailed from Hvalfjord, Iceland on 31 December 1941 and arrived in Murmansk on 11 January 1942.

Ships

Convoy PQ 7a

Convoy PQ 7a consisted of two merchant ships; SS Cold Harbor (Panama) and SS Waziristan (UK), and was escorted by two armed trawlers. SS Waziristan was sunk by the German submarine U-134 on 2 January 1942.

Freighters

Merchant ships^[1]

Name	Year	Flag	GRT	Notes
SS Cold Harbor	1920	Panama	5,010
SS Waziristan	1924	United Kingdom	5,135	Convoy Commodore, stranded in ice, sunk by aircraft and U-134

Convoy escorts

Convoy escorts^[2]

Name	Flag	Type	Notes
HMT Hugh Walpole	Royal Navy	Anti-submarine trawler	Escort 26–27 December
HMT Ophelia	Royal Navy	Shakespearian-class trawler	Escort 26–27 December

Convoy PQ 7b

Convoy PQ 7b comprised nine merchant vessels (two Panamanian, one Russian and seven British). The escort consisted of the destroyers HMS Icarus, HMS Tartar and two armed trawlers. All ships arrived safely.

Merchant ships

Convoyed ships^[3]

Name	Year	Flag	GRT	Notes
SS Aneroid	1917	Panama	5,074
SS Botavon	1912	United Kingdom	5,848
SS Chernyshevski	1919	Soviet Union	3,588
SS Empire Activity	1919	United Kingdom	5,335
SS Empire Halley	1941	United Kingdom	7,168
SS Empire Howard	1941	United Kingdom	6,985
SS Empire Redshank	1919	United Kingdom	6,615
SS Jutland	1928	United Kingdom	6,153
SS Reigh Count	1907	Panama	4,657

Escorts

Convoy escorts^[4]

Name	Flag	Type	Notes
HMS Icarus	Royal Navy	I-class destroyer	Escort 4–11 January
HMS Tartar	Royal Navy	Tribal-class destroyer	Escort 4–11 January
HMT Cape Argona	Royal Navy	ASW trawler	Escort 31 December – 4 January
HMT Wastwater	Royal Navy	ASW trawler	Escort 31 December – 4 January

Footnotes

1. "Convoy PQ.7A". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
2. "Convoy PQ.7A". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
3. "Convoy PQ.7B". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
4. "Convoy PQ.7B". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 15 October 2013.

References

• Woodman, Richard (1994). Arctic Convoys 1941–1945. London: John Murray. ISBN 0-7195-5752-6.
• "Arnold Hague Convoy Database". Convoy Web. Retrieved 23 January 2019.